Folding bed



June 25, 1929. o. .HANAUER 1.718.923

FOLDING BED Filed July 26, 1926 e Sheets-sheaf, 1 I

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FOLDING BED Filed July 26, 1925 s Shecs-Sheet a June 25, 1929. g AN 1,718,923

FOLDINGBED Filed July 26, 1926 4 s Sheets-Sheet 4 June 25, 1929. n. HANAUER 1.718.923

FOLDING BED Filed July 26, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 was? June 25, 1929. u. HANAUER 1.718.923

FOLDING BED Filed July 26, 1926 e s eets-sheet 6 IIIIIIIIII/l Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,718,923 PATENT OFFICE.

DARWIN HANAUER, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 KINNEY ROME COM PANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BED.

Application filed July 26,

The present invention relates to that type of bed in which. the bottom is made in two sections which, during the day, lie one above the other and, during use as a bed, lie edge to edge in the same horizontal plane. The object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel bed of this type in which the mattress or mattress sections may be supported on deep coiled springs, thus making the bed as comfortable as an ordinary bed provided with. one of the best types of coil bed springs.

A futher object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel folding bed that may be opened and closed with very little effort.

The particular form of bed to which I have applied my invention is that in which the bed bottom consists of two frames hinged together, one of the frames being pivoted to the supporting structure at about the middle of its two ends, whereby one section is com plctely turned over in opening or closing the bed, whereas the other section moves laterally with more or less of a rocking motion.

" The total depth of the bed bottom, when the two sections overlie each other, should not be too great.

Viewed in one of its aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel folding bed bottom in which the total depth of two overlying sections will not be considerably greater than the combined depths of the coiled springs in the two sections.

Means must be provided for locking the bed open and, viewed in another of its aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel locking means for two bed sections hinged together, the actuating devices for which shall also serve as convenient means for opening and closing the bed.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end view of a bed arranged in accordance with the present invention in an open condition; Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the end rails of the rotating section, with fragments of the longitudinal rails connected 1926. Serial No. 124,842.

thereto; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the bed partially closed; Fig. 4 is a new snnilar to Figs. 1 and 3, showing the bed completely closed, the larger part of the head or foot of the bed being omitted; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the bed in its open condition; Fig. 6 15 a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a fragment of the frame structures adjacent to one of the hinges between the two bed sections, with the bed being open; Fig. 7 -is a s1de view on an enlarged scale of one end of the bed, in its closed condition; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on a plane passing between the two bed sections when the bed is open; and Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8,

showing a modification.

I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a complete unit that may be detachably connected to ornamental head and foot sectlons, 1n the same way as the bed bottom of an ordinary three piece bed and, for the sake of brevity, shall confine the detailed description to this particular embodiment. The head and foot members are indicated at A. Each may be provided with brackets, such as indicated at 1'8 in Fig. 7, the brackets having seats 0 and D to receive pins or projections on the bed bottom.

The bed bottom consists of a rigid frame structure consisting conveniently of inverted U-shape end members 1 between the arms of each of which extends a horizontal cross piece 2. The two end members are connected together at opposite sides by means of longitudinal pieces 3 connected to the lower ends of the arms or side pieces of the end members. There is a third longitudinal piece 4 overlying and secured at its ends to the cross pieces 2, the member 4 lying inwardly a short distance from one side of the frame structure.

The bed bottom has for its foundation two rectangular frames, indicated as a whole at X and Y. The frame X is pivotedat its ends, at about the longitudinal center, to the stationary frame, as indicated at 5; these pivotal connections being made with the upper cross pieces of the stationary end pieces at the longitudinal center of the bed structure as a whole. The two sections X and Y are hinged together at their edges, while the section Y has at its free longitudinal edge depending supporting legs 6.

The frames X and Y serve to support spring structures containing deep coil springs 7. When the bed is closed, the frames X and Y overlie each other, one bed spring section being underneath and the other one on top. In order to prevent the bed bottom from being too deepor'thick when the bed is closed,the movable framesare so constructed that they will be nested together when the bed is closed. To this end, the frame X is made slightly longer than the frame Y, so that the end pieces of the latter frame m'aylie inside of the end piecesofthe frame These frames are conveniently made of commercial angle irons and these must therefore be sodisposed that there will be no interference to prevent proper nesting. In the arrangement shown, the frameY is made of four plain pieces of angle iron, 10, 11, 12 and 13',- riveted together.- The frame X is composedjof fourangle irons 14, 15,16 and 17. .As best shown in Fig. 6, the vertical flange ofleach' end member of the frame Y is exinner side of the frame, to produce hinge ears 18 that overlap the corresponding flanges of the end members of the frame X and are connected thereto by means of hinge pins 19. As heretofore stated, the end pieces 12 of the frame Y will lie inside of the vertical fianges' of the end pieces of the frame X when the framesare folded together. In order that the end members of the frame Y will clear the longitudinal members lat and 15 of the frame X, these longitudinal members are made'slightly shorter than the distance betweenthe vertical flanges of the end pieces of theframe Y, thus permitting these flanges to pass by the ends of the longitudinals 14 and 15. Furthermore, the longitudinals 14 and 15 are so spaced with respect to the hinge axis between the two movable frames, that they will lie in the space'between the longitudinals 10 and11 of the frame Y, when the frames are nested together.

The frame Y has at'its two inner corners lugs 21 projecting lengthwise therefrom;

these lugs being so located that they will rest on top of thestationary end frames 1 when the bed 'isopened. Therefore the section Y will be supported at one side by the legs 6 and at the other side by the lugs 21. The section X on the other hand, is balanced on its pivots 5 and is held against rocking only by its hinge connection with the section Y. Therefore, in order to prevent the rotatmg section X from rocking or tilting under the influence of an unbalanced welght thereon, it is necessary positively to lock this section in its open position; v I prefer actually to place the lock between the inner side of f V the section Y and the stationary frame, so as be performed bya. single operation.

The detailsof the locking and operating mechanism are best shown in Figs. 6 to 8.

Pivoted at their lower ends to the bar 4, by

pivots 22, near each end of the bar, are two catches 23, 28. \Vhen the bed is open, the upper ends of these catches lie beside the inner longitudinal bar 11 of the frame Y. The catches are provided with books 24 at the upper ends, these hooks being adapted to engage with pins 25 projecting laterally from the frame member 11. Between the catches and the bar 4 are springs 26 that yieldingly hold the catches against stops 27 so that, when free to do so, they will stand in the proper positions to be engaged by the pins 25 and be pushed laterally as the frame Y descends, and thereafter snap into locking engagement with the pins. The pins 25 constitute pivots for two vertical channel-shaped housings 28. The housings extend above and below the pivot-pins, so that the upper ends of the catches lie within the housings when the bed is open. To the upper end of each housing is attached a handle 29 that extends laterally in a direction transverse to the hinge pin. Therefore, when the free end of one of the handles is lifted, the result is a tilting of the corresponding housing from the full line position shown in Fig. 8, to the dotted line position. During this tilting movement, the lower end of what may be termed the front wall of the housing, strikes the front edge of the catch and pushes the catch back to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, so as to free it from the pin. Suitable stops 210 are provided to limit the catch-releasing swing ing movements of the housings. C(lll (l]ll(\lli.- ly, assuming both catches to have been released, a further upward lift of one of the handles will result in the raising of the connected edges of the movable frames. The two housings are connected together by a connect ing rod 31, one end of which lies below one of the pivots 25 and the other of which lies above the other pivot. Therefore, when the left hand handle in Fig. 8 is lifted, the connecting rod pullsthe upper end of the right hand housing toward the left. Similarly, when the right hand handle is lifted, the connecting rod will push the lower end of the left hand housing toward the left. Consequently, upon lifting either handle, both catches are released, permitting the movable frames to be carried toward the closed positions by a continued movement of the handle.

In opening the bed, the frame X sim ly swings about its longitudinal center, so tliat little effort is required to move it; but the inner end of the section Y must be bodily lifted. Conversely, when the bed is closed the inner side of the section Y drops down after it reaches the high point in its movement, and tends to cause the bed to close with a slam. I utilize the action of gravity during the final closing movement of the bed to store up energy which may be applied for the purpose of lifting the inner end of the section Y when the bed is again opened. This result is noeomplished by mounting on each end of the stationary frame an arm pivoted to this frame between its ends, as indicated at 36; one end of the arm being provided with an anti-friction roller 37 that engages with that side of the corresponding end member X that underneath when the bed is closed. Between the other end of each of the arms 35 at a portion of the corresponding stationary frame 1 is a spring 38. The parts are so proportioned that the springs 38 will hold the rollers 37 in contact with the frame X until the latter reaches approximately a vertical position in its opening swinging movement. Consequently, when the bed is closed, the arms 35 are swung about their pivots against the resistance of the springs 38 and these springs are placed under tension. Thus the final closing movements of the bed sections are cushioned by the springs 38 and, when. the bed is afterwards opened, these springs exert a lifting action that makes the work of the person opening the bed lighter than it would otherwise be.

In stead of employing between the housings connecting rod that must both. push and pull, they may be oined by two tension members 41:0 and 41, crossing each other, as indicated in 9; so that no matter which handle is lifted, one or the other tension member or link will pull the housing at the other end of the bed in a direction to release the corresponding catch.

Suitable pads or n'iattresses, not shown, will of course be fastened on top of the si'iring cushions.

Wh ile I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention with a single slight modification, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and an rangements which come within the delinitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bed, a stationary support, a frame mounted on the support so as to be movable from a closed to an open position, a latch projeeting upwardly from said support underneath said frame, a pin on said frame in position to be engaged by the latch when the frame is in the open position, a handle for ope 'ating the frame, means connecting the handle to the frame and permitting limited n'iovement of the handle relatively to the frame, and means associated with the handle for engaging with the latch and moving it away from the pin when the handle is lifted.

2. In a bed, a stationary support, a reversible frame rotatably mounted on said support, a non-reversible laterally n'io'vable frame hinged at one edge to one edge of the rotatable frame, means for supporting said laterally movable frame partly on said support and partly on the floor when the bed is opened, catches mounted on said support in position to underlie the joint between the frames when the bed is open, shoulders on one of said frames to interlock with said catches when the bed is open, connected lifting han- DARWIN HAN AUER. 

